Our History

Collin County Ballet Theatre , a non-profit 501(c)3 organization, was founded in the fall of 2001 by Artistic Directors Kirt and Linda Hathaway, original charter members of Dallas Ballet. They established the Hathaway Academy of Ballet, the official academy of Collin County Ballet Theatre, in the summer of the same year. The Hathaway’s professional experience includes Dallas Ballet, Houston Ballet, Colorado Ballet, Pennsylvania Ballet, Ballet de Santiago, and Cincinnati Ballet. They’ve also served as the directors of the Lexington Ballet and Ballet Arkansas. With thirty years of professional experience, they bring the highest professional standards to the art of dance at Collin County Ballet Theatre.

Our first season featured a production of The Nutcracker, co-produced with the New World Ballet of Richardson, as well as our premier solo concert, A Classic Beginning, sponsored by the Collin County Ballet Theatre Guild. This solo concert showcased a repertoire mixture of classical ballet, contemporary works, and popular jazz dance. The Nutcracker has been a staple of our seasons since this very first performance.

Over the years, Collin County Ballet Theatre has produced many exciting performances and including:

The introduction of the Collin County Ballet Theatre Youth Ensemble during our 2002-2003 season

The world premiere of “Celebration Song,” set to the music of the Kronos Quartet, including guest artists from the nationally recognized Ballet West

A performance of Dance for the Planets in honor of prominent Dallas dance figure, the late Lorraine Cranford, in conjunction with the Dance Council

The presentation of our 2005-2006 season Spring Gala at the McKinney Performing Arts Center, making us the first outside arts group to use the newly renovated space

The “Rubies” pas de deux from the ballet Jewels with permission from the Balanchine Trust

As Collin County Ballet Theatre has grown over the years, we’ve been blessed with an outpouring of support from the community. We’ve enjoyed sold out performances and received funding from numerous community organizations. We look forward to continuing in this spirit of excellence for years to come.